The bustling Westside neighborhood has come a long way since its Brussels sprouts packing days. While you may have heard about the hip coffee shops, stylish boutiques, and small-batch wine, beer, and spirits producers that have made it a local hot spot, the area is also home to some of the most striking natural wonders in Santa Cruz County. Here’s your guide on where to hit the Westside’s trails, sales, and pale ales.

Santa Cruz County covers a lot of scenic ground. And while nothing beats a good hike, bike or swim, sometimes a lazy drive is the best way to see it all. When we’re out exploring, we love referencing Mobile Ranger, a free locally-designed app and informative website that links forgotten stories and curious facts with the places that surround us. Below, we’ve shared some of our favorite scenic drives — as well as ways to enhance your outings with Mobile Ranger — because you know Santa Cruz will never steer you wrong.

It’s a scientific fact that sunsets are simply better in the winter. The colors are more vivid, the clouds sweep dramatically overhead like a painter’s bold brushstrokes, and in Santa Cruz where the ocean faces south, the bright yellow orb’s descent beneath the horizon is finally visible from almost any beach in the county. Even if it means skipping out on work early (although you didn’t hear that from us), winter sunsets are just too good to miss.

2016 is wrapping up and we’re taking a look back to see what our fans loved most on our Facebook and Instagram feeds. Sure, we figured beach photos were a hit (and they were), but we wanted to see what else our fans loved about Santa Cruz County. Take a look below for some of the Best of the Best of 2016 based on fan likes, comments, and shares. Enjoy this gorgeous gallery and rest assured that we will keep providing more of this wildly beautiful, adventurous, and inspiring Santa Cruz content for 2017!

Not every local treasure ends up at the gift shop. We recently shared some of our favorite Santa Cruz hidden gems and invited you to experience what made them so special. If you’ve already checked those off your list, we’ve assembled even more memorable, lesser-known spots for you to discover. From a secret beach to a rare white redwood tree, these obscured destinations will reward those willing to stray from the beaten path.

Visit Santa Cruz County is a private, non-profit corporation, serving as the official visitor marketing entity for Santa Cruz County. Visit Santa Cruz County works to enhance tourism, the visitor experience, and the area economy by positioning and promoting Santa Cruz County as a year-around visitor, conference and film destination.